New car news

22 January 2009 - 11:00

World's fastest electric car?

Well, you can’t accuse Shelby SuperCars of setting its sights too low. Having secured the title of World’s Fastest Production Car with the 255mph Ultimate Aero last summer – and announcing a 270mph version will arrive this year – the American manufacturer is now promising to build the world’s quickest electric car.

It’ll be called the Ultimate Aero EV (for Electric Vehicle), and in every way it sounds a bit too good to be true.

SSC says it has developed its own scalable electric powertrain that will produce power outputs ranging from 200bhp to – ready for this? – 1200bhp. Bear in mind that the just-announced Tesla Roadster Sport develops 288bhp.

While the 1000bhp-plus powertrains will be reserved for commercial and military vehicles (SSC plans to sell the technology to other vehicle manufacturers), the Aero EV will have to do with 500bhp and 821lb ft of torque of lovely electric power, courtesy of twin three-phase AC motors.

The powertrain will weigh in at just 90kg and, says SSC, recharge in just 10 minutes on a standard 110 volt power outlet. That charge will be good for a 200 mile range. Too good to be true, eh?

SSC says that the Aero EV will begin testing next month, and should be unveiled in production form by the summer – just in time for a shot at the World’s Fastest Electric Car crown.

We’d be sceptical, but SSC has proven already that when it sets out to achieve something ridiculous, it might well succeed. Best of luck, chaps.